


Picture this

by LittleMissO



Category: Holby City
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-08-25 11:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16660261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMissO/pseuds/LittleMissO
Summary: That picture of Serena and Leah, and what I think really happened. Because I couldn't not offer a fix it!I've updated chapter one with the properly edited version. It's a bit easier to read. Apologies. It will teach me to try and ujpdate in A&E!





	1. Chapter 1

The loud knock rouses Serena from her exhausted sleep. It's not the usual sound of her alarm and her half asleep brain is struggling to place the noise. It take her a moment to realise that she is not in her own bedroom. It takes her a further moment to realise that she has just woken up fully clothed in the AAU on call room and it's somebody knocking on the door that has disturbed her sleep.

“Coming” she calls out as she hauls herself from the small, but adequate, bed. She runs her fingers through her hair in an attempt to make herself more presentable, and tries to smooth some of the wrinkles and creases out of her clothes. That bloody inspection on the ward yesterday, she thinks. Absolute chaos. Fourteen straight hours she'd had to work to try and sort that fiasco out. Then there had been a further two hours in emergency surgery. Once she was finally free, at way past 1am this morning, it had seemed far more sensible to try and sleep in the on call room than head home. It was certainly the option with the best chance of getting her back to the hospital for her 8am start. Stretching her back out (which was complaining loudly about the less than luxurious mattress it had been forced to sleep on) Serena headed to the door.

She opened it to see Leah Faulkner leaning on the door frame. Serena's heart sank. She had been trying to avoid Leah as much as possible. When she'd first met her she'd liked her, admired her spirit even; but she'd revised her opinion after that awkward, and blatant, pass she had made at her in Albies. She still wasn't sure where that had come from. One minute they'd been chatting happily, the next Leah had been propositioning her. She'd been so surprised and flustered by the sheer speed of the turn of events that she'd not unleashed one of her acerbic brush off's on her. Instead she had muttered some weak excuse about an early start the following day, swiftly downed the rest of her drink, and rushed out the door like some awkward adolescent. Working with her the following day had been excruciating. There was something about the way that Leah seemed to enjoy making her uncomfortable that disturbed Serena. She'd made a real effort to put her discomfort to one side and act professionally as her mentor. She'd thought she'd managed it, until that little scene in the locker room. Leah had made it very clear what she was after. At least this time Serena, finally, had managed to firmly bid her goodnight and close the discussion down. As Leah had been working on other wards recently she had no opportunity to proposition Serena further and she very much hoped that a bit of distance would have made Leah realise just how inappropriately she had been acting. Yesterday had been the first time they had been on the same ward since, and, with the inspection taking place, there had not been a second spare for anything but work - much to Serena's relief.

It was a rather cautious Serena, therefore, who said to Leah,  
“How can I help you Dr Faulkner?” 

“There's a visitor on the ward for you, Ms Campbell,” Leah replied.

“Who is it?” Serena asked.

“They didn't say” said Leah. An odd mischievous look came over her face and she added “Can I say that you are totally rocking that just got out of bed look. I fact, it's enough to make a girl...” Leah never finishes the sentence, instead she launches her self forward, pressing her mouth forcefully against Serena's. For a moment Serena is stunned, her body frozen as she scrabbles to process what is happening. The kiss, if you can call it that, being as one sided as it is, lasts no longer that a second before Serena steps rapidly back. 

“What exactly do you think you are doing?” Serena virtually explodes, breaking out her very best icy, make-even-a-Registrar-crumble, voice. She can see that Leah is shaken by her response but she is obviously going to attempt to brazen it out

“Just what you wanted. What we both wanted,” Leah says, attempting to look calm as she leans against the doorway again. “You know it is.” she adds with a smug, suggestive grin.

“In which Universe, exactly, is that?” The controlled voice in which the words come out barely disguises the anger running beneath them. The raise eyebrow makes it more than clear that Serena is far from impressed. “ I see I haven't made myself crystal clear?” Serena continues. “Then let me try again. I have a partner, whom I am in very much in love with. I don't want or need anyone else. If you think that you're going to turn me into the kind of despicable cheat I abhor, then you are very much mistaken! Perhaps you think that you're worth committing career suicide for? Because that's what it would be. I'm a Consultant, you're an F1, I'm your mentor! I'd be lucky just to lose my job! I very much hope that has clarified things for you. Or do you need me to make it even simpler for you to get the message?” Serena finishes, glad that she has, at last, spelt the situation out for Leah. She's aware that this is what she should have done as soon as the F1's intentions became clear. 

“But...” Leah begins.

“There are no buts Dr Faulkner.” Serena interjects.

“Oh, but I think there are.” Leah suggests, as something that Serena can't place flickers in her eyes. “What would HR make of it? When I tell them that you kissed me and propositioned me? Told them how uncomfortable it made me feel?” And Serena knows that it was vindictiveness she had seen.

“First, you're assuming that they will believe you.” Serena responds, keeping the prickle of fear that is building in her stomach from showing in her face or voice by sheer force of iron will.

“I can be very convincing.” Leah states matter of factly, and Serena has no doubts about this at all “And it's my word against yours...” she adds as a predatory smile settles itself on her face.

“Not if I tell HR what I just witnessed.” rings out a firm and familiar voice from the end of the corridor. Both Leah and Serena whip round to see who has spoken, although Serena already knows. Would know that voice anywhere.

“Bernie!” Serena whimpered with a mix of delight at seeing Bernie and horror at what Bernie had witnessed. Her voice is drowned out by Leah's rather louder and certainly more indignant one retorting   
“I thought I told you to stay by the Nurses Station. Who are you and what are you doing wondering round the Hospital?”

“Who am I?” Bernie replies, in an icy cold voice with a steady cadence. “I'm many things. I'm an Army Major who knows at least thirteen ways to kill with her bare hands. I'm someone who has dealt with worse than you without breaking a sweat. I'm the person who saw you assault Ms Campbell and threaten her. I'm the person who won't think twice about explaining exactly what happened to HR. Most importantly though, I'm Ms Campbell's partner.” As Bernie speaks in the same tones that have frequently given younger recruits nightmares Leah's face falls and begins to pale. 

“I would suggest” continues Bernie, “that you return to the ward and your patients with great speed whilst Ms Campbell and I discuss what will happen to you next.” Leah doesn't waste any time in fleeing back to the ward. Serena, still reeling from the events of the last few minutes finds her self being tugged back into the On Call room by Bernie who shuts and locks the door behind them.


	2. Chapter 2

Serena finds herself facing Bernie and she knows she has to speak, to explain. But she is shocked that Bernie is here, and horribly embarrassed that Bernie saw what happened between her and Leah. She doesn't know how to start, and she finds that her throat is dry and her voice won't work properly.

“I..” she starts hesitantly, not knowing exactly what she is going to say, and looks up into Bernie's face. She has a split second to see the determination in Bernie's eyes before Bernie's lips are on hers and she can think of nothing but how good this feels and how much she has missed it. All she can do, all she wants to do, is return the passion, longing and comfort she can feel in Bernie's kiss. So, as Bernie wraps her arms around her waist and draws her in closer, Serena tangles her fingers in the glorious curly soft mess that is Bernie's hair. She pours everything she has into the kiss, and, as she feels their bodies pushed flush together, she knows that she belongs in Bernie's strong and gentle arms.

When they finally break apart they are both rosy cheeked and desperate for air. Serena sinks down on to the narrow single bed, not sure that her legs will hold her up much longer. Bernie joins her, taking her hand and stroking it gently with her thumb. Serena knows she owes Bernie an explanation, knows that she handled Leah badly. As much as she wants to brush the whole thing aside, if she wants a future with Bernie she can't. She decides that the safest option is to stare at the patterns on the rug under her feet, as if it were the most fascinating thing she has ever seen. She can't look at Bernie, can't bear to see the look of disappointment when she tells her. Drawing in a deep breath, and on all the courage she can muster, she starts.

“What you saw, with Leah, it wasn't... I haven't… not with her, or anyone, I wouldn't...” She breaks off. It's the best she can do for the moment. She knows what it feels like to be cheated on, and she does not want to see that pain on Bernie's face, to have been the one to cause it. It doesn't matter that she's not actively done anything, she knows that she should have done more to nip “it”, what ever “it” is, in the bud. As she sits there trying to gather her thoughts, to steel herself for what she knows she is going to have tell the woman sitting next to her, she feels one of Bernie's beautiful, delicate fingers under her chin. So gently, the finger lifts and turns her head until she is looking straight into Bernie's eyes, and, to her amazement, she finds that they are full of love and compassion.

“I know” says Bernie softly as she holds Serena's gaze.

“No. you don't.” Serena says with a hint of tears entering the timbre of her voice. “It wasn't, it wasn't just today. There was...”

Bernie's voice cuts across her.  
“I mean, I know it all. About what happened in Albie's, about what happened on the ward.”

“What? But, how?” asks Serena. Once again finding herself wrong footed. 

“Fleur told me.”

“Fleur?” Questions Serena, her eyebrow slightly raised. There is a the tiniest hint of panic in Serena's voice. She's been on the receiving end of hospital gossip before, she doesn't want to be there again.

“It's OK.” Bernie says reassuringly, knowing exactly what is worrying Serena “It's not all round the hospital. Fleur promised me she'd look after you whilst I was away. I knew you'd want a drink in Albie's on your birthday and I wanted to make sure that you had someone to celebrate with. As I couldn't be there I asked Fleur if she'd pop in to make sure that you had company and a decent Shiraz. She got held up by an emergency C-Section and didn't get there until later. She was at the bar getting herself a drink when Leah propositioned you. She saw what Leah did and she heard everything. She'd expected you to put Leah firmly in her place, and she was ready to intervene when you didn't; but you dashed out of the bar. She phoned me instead and filled me in whilst she watched you through the window. She told me just how manipulating and predatory Leah had been. She said she could see that you were shaken by it. We talked until she saw you get safely in a cab. We agreed that Fleur should write down what she saw and heard, seal it in an envelope and ask HR to hold it. We thought it would be best. We didn't want to stop you handling it in your own way, but we didn't want you to be left exposed either. At least this way it's there if you need to use it. HR won't open it unless they are asked to, but it is, at the very least, a contemporaneous witness statement, and Fleur is happy to back it up. She said something about women like her being a disgrace to the sisterhood….”

“So,” says Serena rather faintly – not entirely sure she can believe that Bernie knows what happened and still seems to want to be with her. “You don't mind?” she asks.

“Mind, of course I mind! I'm furious that she thought she could get away with making a pass at you. That she could try and manipulate you! And what I just saw! How dare she assault you like that! She's lucky I let her leave in one piece. I don't blame you though. It's not your fault. You haven't done anything wrong. ” 

“But I have, I should have stopped it, but I didn't. Not properly. Not until just now. How can you still trust me after...”

“Serena.” Bernie says gently. “You've done nothing wrong. You didn't go home with her, you didn't kiss her – she kissed you. As far as I can see you told her no, on more that one occasion. Leah refused to hear it and that's on her, not you. She knew that you were feeling lonely and tired and she tried to take advantage of you. You didn't let her.” Then Bernie says slightly more harshly “I don't think it would have made any difference what you said to her anyway.”

“That's not true. If I'd been clearer in the beginning this whole situation wouldn't have happened.”

“She thinks she's in love with you Serena”

“What!” yelps Serena. “She barely knows me! How on earth can she think that? Where did you get that idea from?”

“Donna told me.”

“Donna, how...”

“Leah's first day on the ward. Donna was keeping a close eye on her, you know what she's like. She wants to know everything about everybody! Scary Sue from ITU had been pumping Leah for details of her love life. Leah told Sue she had her eye on someone, and Sue asked Donna if she knew who. At that point Donna didn't know. But it didn't take her long to figure it out. Leah didn't exactly deny it when Donna brought it up. Donna even went as far as warning Leah off. Apparently she told her that if she did anything and I found out about it I'd 'kick her head in'. At least I'm told that was what she said...”

“Sounds like something Donna would say.” offers Serena, feeling emboldened by how calm and sympathetically Bernie was being. “Still, having your eye on somebody isn't the same as being in love with them, or thinking you are.”

“It's not. Donna didn't think much more of it, especially when she heard you refuse Leah's offer of a drink. She thought that you're 'goodnight Dr Faulkner' had made things pretty clear. -she just happened to be going past the locker room when you were talking and overheard. It wasn't until she was in Albie's a couple of weeks later that she realised things might be a bit more serious. She was having a drink with Dom and Lofty, well you know what she and Dom are like for gossip. It got round to who was seeing who and Donna mentioned that Leah had a crush on you. Dom laughed and said, 'She'd be lucky Serena only has eyes for Bernie'. Lofty went white though.”

“Lofty? What's he got to do with this?”

“He got stuck in the lift with Meena and Leah. They were playing some silly game about what they would regret if they never got out of the lift. Leah's biggest regret, apparently, would be falling in love with a senior Consultant.”

“You're kidding!” Serena was having trouble believing just how much the whole Leah situation has blown up.

“Oh, it gets worse. Even though Leah told them that her feelings were totally un-reciprocated, they told she should 'go for it' and tell the Consultant she had fallen for how she felt. They felt that she shouldn't have taken no for an answer.”

“They encouraged her to pursue someone who made it clear that they weren't interested? That's verging on immoral.” exclaimed Serena. Then a thought struck her. “Oh God. Please tell me that she didn't tell them it was me she was talking about!”

“Oh, no, it's OK. No names were mentioned. There was some 'what's said in the lift stays in the lift' rule. It wasn't until Donna mentioned Leah's crush on you that Lofty realised it was even someone he knew, let alone you. He'd assumed it was a Consultant from a previous hospital, someone she'd had time to get to know, to build some kind of a relationship with. They never thought she meant some one she barely knew, and someone who was very much not available. Lofty told them what he knew as soon as Donna had shared her story. The poor boy was devastated. He'd had no idea. When they put everything together they realised that that the whole situation had the potential to get very out of hand, and very dangerous. They didn't think Leah's view of the situation was, shall we say rational. And they were worried it might cause you problems – professionally as well as personally”

“Still not quite sure how you know all this” interjects a puzzled Serena.

“Well, the three of them decided that they needed to do something, warn you somehow. None of them wanted to have such a delicate discussion with such a senior member of staff. They nominated Dom to call me – on the basis that I wasn't working at Holby and couldn't sack any of them or make their lives a misery as effectively as you could have done.” 

A groan of embarrassment escaped from Serena. Removing her hand from Bernie's, leaving both free, she buried her head in them. Bernie's put her arm around Serena's shoulders and held her silently for a moment before saying.

“You know that they were only worried about you. About what Leah might do. They care about you.”

“What exactly did they say?” came Serena's muffled voice.

“As I recall Dom started with 'potential Bunny Boiler alert'.”

“Pardon?”

“That's what I said. There are better ways of starting a phone call. Once that was out of the way, though, he was nothing but serious and helpful. They filled me in on what they knew and I told them to leave it with me. I asked Donna and Lofty to write sealed statements and leave them with HR as well – just to you were protected.”

“They must think I'm some desperate middle aged….”

“No” interjects Bernie fiercely, “That's the last thing they think. Dom said that it can be very hard to see how toxic some people can be when you're not on the outside looking in. The only person who is going to come out of this looking bad is Leah.”

“And what do you think about me now?” asks Serena hesitantly.

Bernie smiles gently,  
“I think,” she replies. “That you've been tired, busy and lonely. I think that I was remiss to leave alone for so long. I think that you almost let yourself be taken advantage of, but you were strong enough put a stop to it before it went too far. But I know that I trust you and I am very much in love with you.”

“Really?” 

“Absolutely.”

“I love you too.” Serena said, her voice full of relief at the realisation that it was going to be OK and she dropped her head to rest it against Bernie's shoulder. They sat together quietly, happy until Bernie broke the silence. 

“Serena,” she said gently “You do know that you're going to have to go HR with this? You can't continue to mentor her, not after what's happened. For your own sake, they need to know what she's done.”

“I see that now” said Serena sadly. “I thought I was handling it myself, but I clearly wasn't. I really didn't realise how bad it had got. You'll come with me?”

“Of course, whatever you want.” confirmed Bernie with a gentle smile. Bernie gives Serena an apologetic glance and adds “Sorry, I really need to check this.” and pulls her mobile phone, which has obviously been vibrating, from her pocket. It takes only a quick peek at the phone for a look of frustration to cross Bernie's face.

“Problem?” asks Serena.

“Not really. It's just the place I was going to rent has fallen through.”

“What's wrong with the place you already have in Nairobi? I quite liked it when I visited.”

“Ah.” said Bernie, “I haven't told you yet. My current place isn't going to be much use to me as I'm not going to be living in Nairobi any more.”

“Why? What's happened?”

“When I found out what was going on here I realised that I wanted to be with you more than anything else. The Trauma Centre is up and running, so I quit. I had enough leave owing I was able to leave pretty much straight away. I'm sorry I didn't tell you – it all happened rather quickly and I had a lot to sort out before I left.”

“You're coming back? To Holby?”

“I am, if that's what you want?” 

A look of pure delight filled Serena's face.  
“More that anything” she beamed as she looked into Bernie's eyes. Then a puzzled look swept over her. “Why were you looking for somewhere to rent though?”.

“I have to live somewhere. I may be used to making do in less that desirable accommodation after the Army, but these days I do insist on four walls and a ceiling as a minimum requirement. I suppose I'll have to find a hotel for now.” Bernie mused. Serena, meanwhile had dropped her gaze and her smile was much less brilliant than it had been moments ago.

“Serena, what is it?” asked Bernie as she noticed the change.

“Oh, it's nothing. Not really. It's just, well, I'd supposed that if you every came back to Holby that you might want, might like, to live with me.” Serena replied shyly.

“You'd want me to live with you?”

“Well, yes – if that's something you might like?”

“Are you kidding?” Bernie exclaimed as she turned to face Serena and clasped both her hands in hers. “I'd like nothing more – I just didn't want to assume..” She tails of as the wideness of her smile makes it too hard to continue.

“Then move in. Tonight”

“Really?”

“Really.” says Serena and reaches up to caress Bernie's neck. “I don't want to waste another moment being apart from you when we could be together.” Serena adds happily.

Bernie looks Serena up and down and a mischievous glint appears in her eyes.  
“If that's the case, then I should point out that your shift doesn't start for another three quarters of an hour and we are currently locked in a room with a bed.”

Serena's breath hitches and she replies  
“What exactly are you proposing?”

Bernie, says nothing, but meets Serena's hungry, willing, lips with her own and gently but urgently pushes her back onto the bed.


End file.
